Top 10 Safest Stocks To Invest In 2019

tags:NTTHF,ESRX,GOOGL,INVA,ECL,NEE,REI,FLO,LAKE,CGO,

To the astonishment of bond investors, the premium for owning Treasurys over the safest government bonds in the eurozone hit its richest levels since the fall of the Berlin Wall last week.

The spread between the 2-year German bond yield TMBMKDE-02Y, +0.00% and the U.S. 2-year Treasury yield TMUBMUSD02Y, +0.47% has run up to more than 3 percentage points, its widest since 1989.

Top 10 Safest Stocks To Invest In 2019: Neo Lithium Corp. (NTTHF)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By ]

  Other juniors include: Advantage Lithium (OTCQB:AVLIF) [TSXV:AAL], AIS Resources [TSXV:AIS] (OTCQB:AISSF), American Lithium Corp. [TSX-V: LI] (OTCQB:LIACF), Argentina Lithium and Energy Corp. [TSXV:LIT] (OTCQB:PNXLF), Argosy Minerals [ASX:AGY] (OTC:ARYMF), AVZ Minerals [ASX:AVZ] (OTC:AZZVF), Bacanora Minerals [TSXV:BCN] [AIM:BCN] [GR:1BQ] (OTC:BCRMF), Birimian Ltd [ASX:BGS] (OTC:EEYMF), Critical Elements [TSXV:CRE] [GR:F12] (OTCQX:CRECF), Dajin Resources [TSXV:DJI] (OTCPK:DJIFF), Enigri (private), Eramet (EN Paris:ERA) (OTCPK:ERMAY), European Metals Holdings [ASX:EMH] [AIM:EMH] [GR:E861] (OTC:ERPNF), Far Resources [CSE:FAT] (OTCPK:FRRSF), Force Commodities [ASX:4CE], Kidman Resources [ASX:KDR] [GR:6KR], Latin Resources Ltd [ASX: LRS] (OTC:LAXXF), Lithium Australia [ASX:LIT] (OTC:LMMFF), Lithium Power International [ASX:LPI] (OTC:LTHHF), LSC Lithium [TSXV:LSC] (OTC:LSSCF), MetalsTech [ASX:MTC], MGX Minerals [CSE:XMG] (OTC:MGXMF), Millennial Lithium Corp. [TSXV:ML] (OTCQB:MLNLF), Neo Lithium [TSXV:NLC] (OTC:NTTHF), NRG Metals Inc. [TSXV:NGZ] (OTCQB:NRGMF), Nemaska Lithium [TSX:NMX] [GR:NOT] (OTCQX:NMKEF), North American Lithium (private), Piedmont Lithium [ASX:PLL] (OTC:PLLLY), Prospect Resources [ASX:PSC], Sayona Mining [ASX:SYA] (OTCPK:DMNXF), Savannah Resources [LSE:SAV], Standard Lithium [TSXV:SLL] (OTC:STLHF), and Wealth Minerals [TSXV:WML] (OTCQB:WMLLF).

• [By ]

  The following 6 companies are on the bench for the index:

  Advantage Lithium (OTCQX:AVLIF) Argosy Minerals (OTCPK:ARYMF) Bacanora Minerals (OTC:BCRMF) Critical Elements (OTCQX:CRECF) NEO Lithium (OTCQX:NTTHF) Wealth Minerals (OTCQX:WMLLF)

  "Bench" is a sports analogy meaning that one or more of them could be added in the future if one of the above companies becomes a producer, is acquired, or the market capitalization ("cap") of one or more of the index holdings falls significantly below that of one or more companies on the bench.

Top 10 Safest Stocks To Invest In 2019: Express Scripts Holding Company(ESRX)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Keith Fitz-Gerald]

  This – the "Amazon effect" – has been coming for a long time and could be seen a mile away. We talked about this many times over, but here's a quick recap:

  In August 2017, Amazon acquired Whole Foods Market and gave grocers a run for their money. Shortly after the announcement of this acquisition in June of that year, The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) and WMT shares dropped 26.29% and 3.76% in just two days, respectively. (A few months later, Kroger dropped yet again, and buying puts showed followers 548% gains on a single option. Click here to learn more about how you could join in and see those kinds of returns.) John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods, famously called Amazon's move into grocery their "Waterloo." Not. In September 2017, Amazon partnered with Olo, an online food ordering company, in order to take on GrubHub Inc. (NYSE: GRUB). In January 2018, Team Bezos announced a joint venture with JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s (NYSE: JPM) Jamie Dimon and Berkshire Hathaway Inc.'s (NYSE: BRK.A) Warren Buffett to create a healthcare company for their workers. The plans are to create more affordable healthcare in a system that's currently broken. Healthcare companies fell shortly afterward, with companies like CVS Health Corp. (NYSE: CVS) and Express Scripts Holding Co. (Nasdaq: ESRX) falling 8.57% and 6.06%, respectively, from Jan. 30 to Feb. 5. The venture is currently making headway now that Bezos, Buffett, and Dimon finally named the health company's CEO this past Monday – surgeon, writer, and public health researcher Atul Gawande. In March of this year, Amazon was apparently in talks with big banks like JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C) to develop its own checking account — like system for users ordering items on its website. Most recently, at the end of the past month, Amazon struck a deal to acquire PillPack – an online pharmacy that packages, organizes, and delivers drugs. The deal is expected to close during the second hal
• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Express Scripts Holding Co (NASDAQ:ESRX) insider Christine Houston sold 12,898 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $85.00, for a total transaction of $1,096,330.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 110,908 shares in the company, valued at $9,427,180. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Bank of Stockton raised its holdings in Express Scripts Holding Co (NASDAQ:ESRX) by 5.2% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 11,821 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 581 shares during the period. Bank of Stockton’s holdings in Express Scripts were worth $1,123,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Brinker Capital Inc. increased its position in Express Scripts (NASDAQ:ESRX) by 11.3% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 84,842 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 8,605 shares during the quarter. Brinker Capital Inc.’s holdings in Express Scripts were worth $5,861,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Top 10 Safest Stocks To Invest In 2019: Alphabet Inc.(GOOGL)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Rosevear]

  Automakers around the world are scrambling to develop self-driving technology to fend off challenges from upstart high-technology rivals. Already, a tech company appears to have seized the lead in the race to deploy autonomous vehicles: Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) subsidiary Waymo is in the process of deploying its own self-driving taxi service.

• [By ]

  Markets have been mixed on Monday as the 10-year Treasury yield closes in on 3%. Earnings reports today included from Halliburton (HAL) , Hasbro (HAS) and Kimberly-Clark (KMB) . Action Alerts PLUS holding Alphabet (GOOGL)  is among the companies reporting after the close. 

• [By ]

  The exodus of talent also has to be a concern for shareholders. Tesla was supposed to be working on an autonomous driving chip, led by Jim Keller, who recently left for Intel Corporation (INTC) . On Friday evening, Matthew Schwall, Tesla's former director of field performance engineering, punched his ticket for cross-town rival Waymo, the self-driving division of Alphabet Inc (GOOG) (GOOGL) . Doug Field, senior VP of Engineering is also taking a leave of absence from the automaker.

• [By Lee Jackson]

  A stunning 60% of small businesses surveyed said they use the company's advertising platform in some way for their businesses. Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOGL) came in second with 45% of the respondents using the search giant.

• [By Harsh Chauhan]

  Amazon's tailored pricing plan has allowed it to corner a bigger share of India's online video-streaming market, and the gap could increase thanks to the company's strategy of creating more local content. What's more, competition will continue in emerging markets; Alphabet's (NASDAQ:GOOGL) (NASDAQ:GOOG) YouTube will soon produce original shows for markets including Mexico, Japan, France, Germany, and India.

• [By Evan Niu, CFA]

  Market researcher Park Associates has released a study today that shows 97% of smart speaker households have just one brand of smart speaker, suggesting that consumers are very loyal to brands and generally stick to the platform they initially invest in. Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) and Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) subsidiary Google have already established strong footholds in the market, thanks in large part to the affordable Echo Dot and Google Home Mini, both of which cost around $50.

Top 10 Safest Stocks To Invest In 2019: Innoviva, Inc. (INVA)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Innoviva (INVA)

  For more information about research offerings from Zacks Investment Research, visit Zacks.com

• [By Sean Williams, Chuck Saletta, and Brian Feroldi]

  With this in mind, we asked three Motley Fool investors to name one healthcare stock that's tops on their list for the month of June. These three mid-cap stocks made the cut: royalty drug company Innoviva (NASDAQ:INVA), mental illness treatment center operator Acadia Healthcare (NASDAQ:ACHC), and health savings account provider HealthEquity (NASDAQ:HQY).

• [By Sean Williams]

  After running a screen for healthcare stocks with a PEG ratio below 1 (courtesy of Yahoo! Finance), the following 13 were all that remained:

  Innoviva (NASDAQ:INVA): 0.42 PEG ratio Celgene (NASDAQ:CELG): 0.54 Mallinckrodt (NYSE:MNK): 0.59 Exelixis (NASDAQ:EXEL): 0.60 Global Cord Blood Corp.: 0.72 AbbVie: 0.75 Vertex Pharmaceuticals: 0.80 DaVita: 0.80 Supernus Pharmaceuticals: 0.80 Mednax: 0.82 MiMedx Group: 0.88 CIGNA: 0.93 Medpace Holdings: 0.95

  Image source: Getty Images.

• [By Sean Williams]

  Lastly, there's Innoviva (NASDAQ:INVA), which isn't a traditional drug stock, per se. Innoviva is a royalty company that's currently reaping benefits from a group of long-lasting COPD and asthma medications that were developed in cooperation with GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE:GSK). You know these medicines today as Breo Ellipta and Anoro Ellipta, to name a few.

Top 10 Safest Stocks To Invest In 2019: Ecolab Inc.(ECL)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  AustralianSuper Pty Ltd bought a new position in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor bought 1,049,000 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $147,206,000. Ecolab accounts for approximately 3.5% of AustralianSuper Pty Ltd’s portfolio, making the stock its 17th largest holding.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Voya Investment Management LLC trimmed its position in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 1.8% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 92,817 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 1,735 shares during the quarter. Voya Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $13,025,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) has received a consensus rating of “Hold” from the twenty brokerages that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, ten have given a hold recommendation and nine have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $146.00.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) – Jefferies Financial Group dropped their Q4 2018 EPS estimates for Ecolab in a report released on Tuesday, July 31st. Jefferies Financial Group analyst L. Alexander now anticipates that the basic materials company will post earnings per share of $1.73 for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $1.74.

Top 10 Safest Stocks To Invest In 2019: NextEra Energy, Inc.(NEE)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Pendal Group Ltd grew its stake in shares of NextEra Energy (NYSE:NEE) by 3.3% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 682,686 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after buying an additional 21,713 shares during the quarter. NextEra Energy accounts for approximately 1.4% of Pendal Group Ltd’s portfolio, making the stock its 20th biggest position. Pendal Group Ltd’s holdings in NextEra Energy were worth $111,503,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

• [By Travis Hoium, Jason Hall, and Matthew DiLallo]

  To navigate the industry, three Motley Fool contributors got their heads together to lay out why NextEra Energy (NYSE:NEE), Vivint Solar (NYSE:VSLR), and Ensco (NYSE:ESV) are the three top energy stocks to buy. They're very different companies on the surface, but the theme among all three is value in their respective industries. 

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  NextEra Energy Partners (NYSE:NEP) announced this week that it would acquire a portfolio of wind and solar assets from its parent NextEra Energy (NYSE:NEE) for $1.275 billion. The transaction, which the company will finance through a unique arrangement with leading asset manager BlackRock (NYSE:BLK), keeps it on track to grow its 3.6%-yielding dividend at a 12% to 15% annual pace all the way through 2023. That forecast could energize the company to produce market-smashing returns in the coming years.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  NextEra Energy Inc (NYSE:NEE) has received a consensus rating of “Buy” from the sixteen analysts that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $168.38.

Top 10 Safest Stocks To Invest In 2019: Ring Energy, Inc.(REI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  News headlines about Ring Energy (NASDAQ:REI) have trended somewhat positive this week, Accern reports. Accern ranks the sentiment of media coverage by analyzing more than twenty million blog and news sources in real-time. Accern ranks coverage of public companies on a scale of negative one to one, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. Ring Energy earned a media sentiment score of 0.12 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave news stories about the company an impact score of 48.1013811529141 out of 100, indicating that recent media coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an effect on the stock’s share price in the immediate future.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Ring Energy Inc (NYSEAMERICAN:REI) – Investment analysts at B. Riley upped their Q3 2018 earnings estimates for Ring Energy in a research report issued on Tuesday, October 9th. B. Riley analyst R. Rashid now expects that the company will post earnings per share of $0.15 for the quarter, up from their previous forecast of $0.14. B. Riley also issued estimates for Ring Energy’s Q4 2018 earnings at $0.21 EPS and FY2018 earnings at $0.60 EPS.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Ring Energy (NYSEAMERICAN:REI) will be issuing its Q1 2018 quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 9th. Analysts expect the company to announce earnings of $0.15 per share for the quarter.

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  Shares of Ring Energy Inc. (NYSEMKT:REI) tumbled more than 19% by 2:30 p.m. EDT on Tuesday after an analyst downgraded the oil and gas producers' stock.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust (TSE:REI) announced a monthly dividend on Friday, September 14th, Zacks reports. Investors of record on Friday, September 28th will be given a dividend of 0.12 per share on Friday, October 5th. This represents a $1.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 8.45%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 27th.

Top 10 Safest Stocks To Invest In 2019: Flowers Foods, Inc.(FLO)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio decreased its position in Flowers Foods, Inc. (NYSE:FLO) by 12.0% in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 106,729 shares of the company’s stock after selling 14,529 shares during the period. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio’s holdings in Flowers Foods were worth $2,223,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Flowers Foods (NYSE:FLO) posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday. The company reported $0.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $0.31 by ($0.01), Bloomberg Earnings reports. Flowers Foods had a net margin of 3.83% and a return on equity of 15.17%. The firm had revenue of $1.21 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.20 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.25 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 1.5% on a year-over-year basis.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Here are some of the headlines that may have effected Accern’s analysis:

  Get Flowers Foods alerts: Analyzing Flowers Foods (FLO) and Hain Celestial Group (HAIN) (americanbankingnews.com) Flowers are suddenly everywhere in food (bendbulletin.com) Berenberg’s Packaged Food Pair Trade: Buy Twinkie’s Parent Company, Hold Flowers Food (finance.yahoo.com) Flowers Foods (FLO) Rating Increased to Outperform at Consumer Edge (americanbankingnews.com) Flowers Foods (FLO) Coverage Initiated at Berenberg Bank (americanbankingnews.com)

  A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on FLO shares. Zacks Investment Research downgraded shares of Flowers Foods from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 18th. Deutsche Bank set a $24.00 target price on shares of Flowers Foods and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 17th. Hilliard Lyons started coverage on shares of Flowers Foods in a research note on Tuesday, April 3rd. They issued a “buy” rating and a $25.00 target price on the stock. KeyCorp started coverage on shares of Flowers Foods in a research note on Tuesday, March 27th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $24.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Jefferies Group reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a $19.00 target price on shares of Flowers Foods in a research note on Thursday, May 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. The stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $22.00.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Some of the stocks that may grab investor focus today are:

  Wall Street expects Macy's, Inc. (NYSE: M) to report quarterly earnings at $0.35 per share on revenue of $5.39 billion before the opening bell. Macy's shares fell 0.47 percent to $29.79 in after-hours trading. Analysts are expecting Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) to have earned $0.65 per share on revenue of $12.43 billion in the latest quarter. Cisco will release earnings after the markets close. Cisco shares declined 0.07 percent to $45.45 in after-hours trading. Boot Barn Holdings Inc (NYSE: BOOT) reported upbeat results for its fourth quarter and issued strong first-quarter earnings guidance. Boot Barn shares climbed 9.97 percent to $24.15 in the after-hours trading session. After the markets close, Flowers Foods, Inc. (NYSE: FLO) is projected to post quarterly earnings at $0.31 per share on revenue of $1.20 billion. Flowers Foods shares dropped 0.37 percent to $21.70 in after-hours trading.

  Find out what's going on in today's market and bring any questions you have to Benzinga's PreMarket Prep.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Wells Fargo & Company MN lessened its holdings in Flowers Foods, Inc. (NYSE:FLO) by 3.4% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 1,601,854 shares of the company’s stock after selling 56,706 shares during the period. Wells Fargo & Company MN’s holdings in Flowers Foods were worth $35,017,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

• [By Garrett Baldwin]
  Yesterday, North Korean officials threatened to pull out of next month's summit with President Donald Trump over demands tied to its nuclear weapons program. The announcement comes when tensions are already high over increasing inflation fears, Japan's economic contraction, and uncertainty around trade between the U.S. and China. Markets are likely to continue to react with uncertainty as the global political climate continues to grow increasingly volatile. WTI crude oil remained near $71.00 despite concerns as markets look to the Energy Information Administration on the state of U.S. inventory levels. Oil prices have been under pressure after the U.S. announced it would pull out of the Iran Nuclear Deal. The American Petroleum Institute projected Tuesday that U.S. stocks increased by 4.9 million barrels to 435 million barrels. The EIA will release its official report later this morning. Three Stocks to Watch Today: M, SBUX, AMZN Macy's Inc. (NYSE: M) will lead another busy day of earnings reports. The retail company's stock surged more than 12% this morning after a huge earnings report that crushed Wall Street expectations. The firm reported EPS of $0.48, topping expectations of $0.37 by 11 cents. The company also beat revenue expectations by roughly $100 million and experienced a huge jump in same-store sales. It doesn't look like the U.S-China trade dispute will impact Starbucks Corporation (Nasdaq: SBUX). The coffee giant announced plans to build 3,000 new stores in China in the coming years. The company aims to double its store-front presence by the end of 2022 and hopes to double its profits and triple its revenue in the nation in the process. Amazon.com (Nasdaq: AMZN) is back in the news as it continues its slash-and-burn campaign against rival grocery store operators. This morning, the company announced it was slashing Whole Foods prices for its Prime members. The new price list includes 10% discounts on hundreds of items. The perks are rolling ou

Top 10 Safest Stocks To Invest In 2019: Lakeland Industries, Inc.(LAKE)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Alpine Woods Capital Investors LLC reduced its position in Lakeland Industries (NASDAQ:LAKE) by 40.0% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 15,010 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 10,000 shares during the quarter. Alpine Woods Capital Investors LLC owned about 0.18% of Lakeland Industries worth $194,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Here are some of the media stories that may have impacted Accern Sentiment’s rankings:

  Get Lakeland Industries alerts: Head-To-Head Analysis: WILLIAM DEMANT/ADR (WILYY) & Lakeland Industries (LAKE) (americanbankingnews.com) Should You Be Tempted To Sell Lakeland Industries Inc (NASDAQ:LAKE) Because Of Its PE Ratio? (finance.yahoo.com) Analysts Anticipate Lakeland Industries, Inc. (LAKE) to Announce $0.22 EPS (americanbankingnews.com) Need A Job? Here Are The Latest Postings Around Lakeland (patch.com)

  Several brokerages have weighed in on LAKE. Zacks Investment Research cut shares of Lakeland Industries from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday. ValuEngine cut shares of Lakeland Industries from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 18th.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Lakeland Industries (LAKE)

  For more information about research offerings from Zacks Investment Research, visit Zacks.com

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Lakeland Industries (LAKE)

  For more information about research offerings from Zacks Investment Research, visit Zacks.com

Top 10 Safest Stocks To Invest In 2019: Calamos Global Total Return Fund(CGO)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Cogeco Inc. (TSE:CGO) reached a new 52-week low on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as C$57.73 and last traded at C$58.72, with a volume of 6659 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$58.29.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Cogeco Inc. (TSE:CGO) hit a new 52-week low on Monday . The stock traded as low as C$58.08 and last traded at C$58.12, with a volume of 14200 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at C$58.35.